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Page 8
Since every Feature must be drawn exactly to the Life, great Care must
be taken, that the Strokes be not too faint, nor yet too strong: For
Characteristic-Justice is to be observ'd as strictly by the Writers of
this Kind, as Poetic-Justice is to be by Poets. That Medium must be
copied, which Nature it self has mark'd out; whatever falls short of
it is poor and insipid, whatever is above it is Rant and
Extravagance.
[E] _Quodcunque ostendis mihi sic, incredulus odi._
And whatsoever contradicts my Sense,
I hate to see, and never can believe.
Ld. _Roscommon_.
[E: Horat. Art. Poet. _v._ 188.]
A consummate Delicacy of Sentiments, and an exquisite Judgment are the
very Soul of _Characteristic-Writing_; for every particular Stroke, as
well as the whole Character, has a proper Degree of Perfection. To
attain this Point, and to bring the several Parts, as well as the
Whole, exactly to this Pitch, is the Work of a sagacious Head, and
of a perfect Judgment.--An Author, in this Kind, must not dwell too
long upon one Idea: As soon as the masterly Stroke is given, he must
immediately pass on to another Idea. This will give Life to the Work,
and serve to keep up the Spirit of the Writing, and of the Reader too:
Forif, after the masterly Stroke is given, the Author shou'd, in a
paraphrastical Manner, still insist upon the same Idea, the Work will
immediately flag, the Character grow languid, and the Person
characteris'd will insensibly vanish from the Eyes of the
Reader.
An honest Writer, who has the Profit as well as the Pleasure of his
Reader in View, ought always to tell the Truth. But as he is at
Liberty to chuse his manner of telling it, so that Method of
Instruction ought to be observ'd in _Characteristic-Writings_,
which will keep up the good Humour of the Reader, altho' he is, at
the same Time, made sensible of his Errors. And this Artifice ought
industriously to be pursu'd, since the proper Management of it is so
necessary to the Success of _Characteristic-Writings_. For those who
love and admire Truth themselves, must yet be sensible that 'tis
generally unwelcome, both to themselves and to others, when the Point
of Self-Interest is concern'd. And the Reason of it is, not because
Truth is really ugly and deform'd, but because it presents to our View
certain Inconsistencies and Errors, which Self-Love will not allow us
to condemn. And therefore the great Art and Difficulty, in making
Truth pleasant and profitable, is so to expose Error, as not to seem
to make any Attacks upon the Province of Self-Love.
[F] _Omne vafer vitium ridenti Flaccus amico
Tangit, & admissus circum pr�cordia ludit,
Callidus excusso Populum suspendere naso._
[F: Persius Sat. I. V. 116, &c.]
----With conceal'd Design,
Did crafty _Horace_ his low Numbers join:
And, with a sly insinuating Grace,
Laugh'd at his Friend, and look'd him in the Face:
Wou'd raise a Blush, where secret Vice he found;
And tickle, while he gently prob'd the Wound.
With seeming Innocence the Crowd beguil'd;
But made the desp'rate Passes, when he smil'd.
Mr. _Dryden_.
This was the Character of one of the greatest _Roman_ Poets; and in
this Art, amongst the Moderns, [G]_Benserade_ particularly excell'd,
if we may believe his Successor and Panegyrist _Pavillon_.
[G: Dictionaire de _Bayle_. Artic. _Benserade._ Not. L.]
What is the proper Style for _Characteristic-Writings_ is briefly laid
down by [H]_Libanius_ in the following Words. +Ergas� t�n �thopoiian
charakt�ri saphei, suntom�, anth�r�, apolut�, ap�llagmen� pas�s plok�s
te kai sch�matos+. "When you describe Manners you must use a plain,
concise, florid, easy Style, free from all artificial Turns and
Figures." Every Thing must be even, smooth, easy and unaffected;
without any of those Points and Turns, which convey to the Mind
nothing but a low and false Wit, in which our Moderns so much abound,
and in which they seem to place their greatest Beauties.
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